1. Technical Field
This device relates to bark removing machines that are used to process logs for use in the log structures. The bark must be removed before the logs can be used in the log building industry. Historically, bark was removed by hand by use of a drawknife or by a broad axe when the log was hand honed into support beans and the like.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art machines for rapidly removing bark can be found in sawmills, for example, in which large automated debarkers are used to grind and strip the bark from logs prior to milling. Such devices as drum debarkers use a rotating drum with a plurality of internal bark engagement ribs. As the log passes through the drum, they strike the ribs and other logs removing the bark. Other log debarking devices can be seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,987,825, 4,036,270, 4,249,585, 4,425,952 and 4,875,511.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,825 a tree bark removing apparatus is disclosed having two rows of oppositely disposed angularly aligned log transportation wheels and a fixed overhead cutting head. The logs are advanced longitudinally and engaged by the rotating tool removing the bark.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,270 disclosed a log peeling machine having a rotary peeling drum assembly with in feed and out feed conveyors that engage both the top and bottom surface of the logs directing it for engagement with the rotating bark removing drum.
A log debarking apparatus is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,585 in which a log is rotated in a fixed longitudinal position while a debarking tool is moved along the log in a spiral path.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,952 a log feeding apparatus is shown having a pair of support arms with three log feed assemblies positioned thereon. Each assembly has a rotating drum with a plurality of log engaging spikes on its outer surface.
A bark removing apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. 4,875,511 in which multiple pairs of concave rollers engage oppositely disposed surfaces of the log, removing the bark therefrom.
A log peeling device which selectively engages a log, removing longitudinal strips of bark. It is advantageous to remove bark in this fashion on logs to be used in log home construction giving the logs a hand peeled look which heretofore was only possible by labor intensive hand debarking. Logs are held in fixed longitudinal position on a vertically adjustable support table and engaged along their longitudinal axis by a movable overhead cutting head. A log chuck selectively rotates the log, repositioning it for the cutting head which has a plurality of blades on a central arbor that engage the presented log surface removing the bark as it is passed over the surface of the log.